Volume One - Into the Victorian Age - Rhondda coal = Cardiff gold . . .

When the coal comes from the Rhondda

Down that Taff Vale Railway line

With my little pick and shovel

I’ll be there I’ll be there!

The majority of revenue which funded the development of the docks was directly generated from “King Coal”. In Cardiff, the 2nd Marquis of Bute and family were rich, very rich. They lived in a castle; Castell Caerdydd (Cardiff Castle).

	The writer used to have trumpet lessons there at the former Welsh College of Music and Drama where rehearsal rooms could range from a hovel above the gate house and portcullis, to a cell in the basement, and when no one was looking, to the somewhat outlandish Arab Hall with its amazing decoration.

Even before work at Cardiff Castle was complete a few miles north of Cardiff the Marquis built a “fairy tale” castle on the site of a 13th century fortification – Castell Goch – "The Red Castle". image [046]